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The use of cognitive task analysis for identifying the critical information omitted when experts describe surgical procedures

THE USE OF COGNITIVE TASK ANALYSIS FOR IDENTIFYING THE
CRITICAL INFORMATION OMITTED WHEN EXPERTS DESCRIBE
SURGICAL PROCEDURES
by
Eko Natividad Canillas
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 2010
Copyright 2010 Eko Natividad Canillas

Evidence in research suggests experts omit 70% of procedural steps when describing a surgical procedure. Additionally, prior knowledge of a procedure may have an affect on the percentage of information omitted when describing a procedure. To examine this, the current study used CTA methods to conduct semi-structured interviews with six subject matter experts describing a central venous catheter (CVC) placement procedure. Quantitative methods were used to analyze data regarding the amount of information omitted when describing a CVC and the amount of information omitted as it relates to prior knowledge of the procedure. Study findings did not confirm experts omit 70% of procedural steps, but approximately 30% of action steps and 35% of decision steps were omitted when describing a CVC. Failure to confirm prior estimates of omissions in existing research may be due to study limitations including (a) “rolling-up” steps of CTA items to achieve better organization in the gold standard for data analysis (b) issues with crediting SMEs and (c) challenges to SME participation. Moreover, participants omitted a lower percentage of action and decisions steps when describing a CVC, yet possessed more prior knowledge of the procedure. This was compared to data of a similar study using an open cricothyrotomy (CRIC) procedure where participants had less prior knowledge of the CRIC, but more knowledge omissions. This outcome may stem from the type of prior knowledge examined in this study and heightened awareness resulting from institutional responses targeting the CVC. Future research in the field of CTA is discussed.

THE USE OF COGNITIVE TASK ANALYSIS FOR IDENTIFYING THE
CRITICAL INFORMATION OMITTED WHEN EXPERTS DESCRIBE
SURGICAL PROCEDURES
by
Eko Natividad Canillas
A Dissertation Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC ROSSIER SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
DOCTOR OF EDUCATION
May 2010
Copyright 2010 Eko Natividad Canillas